Requiem for an Angry Man

There are some who say that Andrew Breitbart was on all kinds of mind-altering substances. They accuse Fox News's Bill O'Reilly of being strangely silent about Breitbart's addictions, especially after raising such a ruckus about Whitney Houston. Perhaps drugs were involved, perhaps not. It doesn't appear that the public will be treated to any autopsy or toxicology reports.

It doesn't matter. Breitbart's biggest addiction is evident for anyone who logs into YouTube. He was addicted to anger:



Anger is an amazing high. It shoots epinephrine across your entire body and brain. It helps you feel strong, quick-witted and able to leap tall buildings at a single bound. I remember having an argument with my husband once and storming out of the house. I hiked the hills for miles. It's as easy to become addicted to epinephrine as it is to seratonin, the production of which is what many drugs induce. Soon you need a good rage to get out of bed in the morning.

The problem is that big doses of epinephrine increase blood pressure and put a terrible strain on the heart. I've gotten mine a bit under control lately, both with age and meditation. Andrew Breitbart wasn't that lucky.